Lead Hazards in Some Holiday Toys and Toy Jewelry

"Protect children from exposure to lead in metal and plastic toys, especially imported toys, antique toys, and toy jewelry. Childhood lead poisoning is 100% preventable.

Many children get toys and toy jewelry as gifts during the holiday season. Some toys, especially imported toys, antique toys, and toy jewelry, may contain lead. Although lead is invisible to the naked eye and has no smell, exposure to lead can seriously harm a child’s health. Young children tend to put their hands, toys, or other objects―which may be made of lead or contaminated with lead or lead dust―into their mouths. If you have a small child in your household, make sure the child does not have access to toys, jewelry, or other items that may contain lead.

Lead in Toys

Lead may be found in the paint, metal, and plastic parts of some toys and toy jewelry, particularly those made in other countries, as well as antique toys and collectibles.

• In 2008, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) was signed into law, requiring toys and infant products to be tested to mandatory standards before being sold, CPSIA and Lead Fact Sheet pdf icon[118 KB]external icon.
• The use of lead in plastics has not been banned. Lead softens plastic, making a toy more flexible to return to its original shape. Lead may also be used in plastic toys to stabilize molecules from heat.
• Lead dust can form on toys when some plastics are exposed to sunlight, air, and detergents that break down the chemical bond between the lead and plastics.
• Lead also may be combined with other metals, such as tin, to create alloys that are used to make toys.

To reduce children’s risk for lead exposure, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) tests and issues recalls of current products that may potentially expose children to lead. Check the CPSC websiteexternal icon to be sure your child’s toys are safe. You can find photos and descriptions of currently recalled toys there. For additional information on lead in toys, visit the CDC Lead website..."
Lead in toys 

Lead Hazards in Some Holiday Toys and Toy Jewelry

"Protect children from exposure to lead in metal and plastic toys, especially imported toys, antique toys, and toy jewelry.

Many children get toys and toy jewelry as gifts during the holiday season. Some toys, especially imported toys, antique toys, and toy jewelry, may contain lead. Although lead is invisible to the naked eye and has no smell, exposure to lead can seriously harm a child’s health.

Young children tend to put their hands, toys, or other objects―which may be made of lead or contaminated with lead or lead dust―into their mouths. If you have a small child in your household, make sure the child does not have access to toys, jewelry, or other items that may contain lead.

Lead in Toys

Lead may be found in the paint, metal, and plastic parts of some toys and toy jewelry, particularly those made in other countries, as well as antique toys and collectibles.

• In 2008, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) was signed into law, requiring toys and infant products to be tested to mandatory standards before being sold, CPSIA and Lead Fact Sheet pdf icon[118 KB]external icon.
• The use of lead in plastics has not been banned. Lead softens plastic, making a toy more flexible to return to its original shape. Lead may also be used in plastic toys to stabilize molecules from heat.
• Lead dust can form on toys when some plastics are exposed to sunlight, air, and detergents that break down the chemical bond between the lead and plastics.
• Lead also may be combined with other metals, such as tin, to create alloys that are used to make toys..."
  Lead in toys

Lead Hazards in Some Holiday Toys and Toy Jewelry

"Protect children from exposure to lead in metal and plastic toys, especially imported toys, antique toys, and toy jewelry.

Many children get toys and toy jewelry as gifts during the holiday season. Some toys, especially imported toys, antique toys and toy jewelry, may contain lead hazards. Lead is invisible to the naked eye and has no smell. Lead is used to augment paints and pigments on some toys. And toys may also be made of lead.

Children may be exposed to lead by simply handling toys normally. It is normal for toddlers and infants to put toys, fingers and other objects in their mouths. Children may be exposed to lead this way.

Lead in Toys

Toys imported into the United States, toy jewelry and antique toys and collectibles may contain lead. To reduce children’s risk for exposure, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) tests and issues recalls of toys that could potentially expose children to lead. Learn more at the CDC Lead website..."
Lead in toys

Smart Toys and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998

"A growing number of devices in American households, including televisions, appliances, security systems, and heating and cooling devices, rely on Internet connectivity to perform a range of functions. And the “Internet of Things” includes a growing number of products primarily used by children, including “smart toys.” In the 1980’s, the popular Teddy Ruxpin bear “talked” to children by way of a tape player hidden inside. Today, children may have real-time two-way “conversations” with their smart toys. Sensors, mics, cameras, storage devices, speech recognition technology, Internet-connectivity, and GPS are used to tailor the toy’s behaviors based on the child’s interactions. Some more sophisticated smart toys may record a child’s voice on an audio file, convert the audio to text, query a searchable database, and return an appropriate voice response back to the child. But smart toys’ use of Internet-connectivity potentially to collect children’s personal information may require the toys’ makers to take certain steps to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA) and its implementing rules and requirements..."
Children's Online Pfivacy Protection

Lead Hazards in Some Holiday Toys and Toy Jewelry

"Protect children from exposure to lead in metal and plastic toys, especially imported toys, antique toys, and toy jewelry.

Many children get toys and toy jewelry as gifts during the holiday season but some toys may contain lead hazards. Lead is invisible to the naked eye and has no smell.

Children may be exposed to lead by simply handling toys normally. It is normal for toddlers and infants to put toys, fingers and other objects in their mouths. They may also be exposed to lead this way.

Lead in Toys

Protect children from exposure to lead in metal and plastic toys, especially imported toys, antique toys, and toy jewelry.

Toys imported into the United States and antique toys and collectibles often contain lead. To reduce children’s risk for exposure, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issues recalls of toys that could potentially expose children to lead. Learn more at the CDC Lead website..."
Lead and toys

Lead Hazards in Some Holiday Toys

"The holiday season is here, and that means many children will be given toys as gifts. While new toys are a holiday tradition, you  should be aware of potential lead hazards associated with some toys, including toy jewelry. Review these important facts to keep your children safe this holiday season.

Lead is invisible to the naked eye and has no smell. Children may be exposed to it from consumer products by simply handling the product normally. Because children often put toys, other objects, and their fingers in their mouths, they can be exposed when they do this as well..."
Lead inToys

Lead Hazards in Some Holiday Toys

"The holiday season is here, and that means many children will be given toys as gifts. While new toys are a holiday tradition, parents should be aware of potential lead hazards associated with toys, including toy jewelry. Review these important facts to keep your children safe this holiday season..."
Lead InToys

Lead Hazards in Some Holiday Toys

"The holiday season is here, and that means many children will be given toys as gifts. While new toys are a holiday tradition, parents should be aware of potential lead hazards associated with toys, including toy jewelry. Review these important facts to keep your children safe this holiday season.

Lead is invisible to the naked eye and has no smell. Children may be exposed to it from consumer products through normal handling of the product. They often place toys and other objects, as well as their fingers that have touched these objects, in their mouth, which exposes them to lead paint or dust.

Lead in Toys

Toys that have been made in other countries and then imported into the United States, or antique toys or collectibles passed down through generations; often contain lead that puts children at risk for such exposure. To reduce these risks, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issues recalls of toys that could potentially expose children to lead. Learn more at..."

CPSC Releases Top Three Tips for a Safer Holiday Toy Shopping and Playing Experience
"As the holidays approach and toy catalogs begin to arrive in the mail, toy shoppers can become overwhelmed with all the choices. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) wants parents and consumers to know that safeguards put in place in recent years are making a positive impact and helping to restore confidence in the safety of toys in the marketplace.

The new toy safeguards include: establishing the lowest lead content and lead paint limits in the world; setting limits on the use of certain phthalates; converting the voluntary toy standard into a mandatory standard; and working with Customs and Border Protection data systems to track shipments as they are in transit from other countries thereby increasing our effectiveness in discovering dangerous products coming into U.S. ports.

These safeguards, along with safety-conscious steps taken by many toy makers and sellers, have contributed to a dramatic decline in toy recalls since 2008. There were 44 toy recalls in fiscal year 2010. This is down from 50 recalls in 2009 and 172 recalls in 2008. Toy recalls related to lead in 2010 were down to 3, which is far fewer than 9 in 2009 and 19 in 2008.

In addition to a decline in recalls, toy-related fatalities decreased in 2009. A new report (pdf) released by CPSC today notes that for 2009 CPSC received reports of 12 deaths to children under the age of 15, which is down from 24 toy-related fatalities in 2007 and 2008. Riding toys were associated with almost 60 percent of the reported deaths in 2009: 3 with tricycles, 2 with powered riding toys, and 2 with nonmotorized riding toys or unspecified riding toys. Most deaths were from drowning, motor vehicle accidents, or airway obstruction from a small toy or small part of a toy..."